Crimson
by XxCupcakeAssassinxX
Summary: "So, you're telling me vampires are killing these people?" "Yes. Wait- what are you doing!" "I'm arresting you." "On what grounds!" "I don't know- Public Insanity! You're crazy if you think vampires are real!" If only I had listened to him earlier. It probably would have saved me a lot of grief.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

I secured my jacket tighter around my body. The crisp breeze that blew through me told me that winter wasn't too far away, and that fall break was almost over. School was right around the corner. Good, that meant I wouldn't have to deal with my sister's nonsense for much longer. "Shou," my sister, Mitsuru, whined from behind me and I bit down an irritated groan. "I'm cold. Can we go home, it's getting late." I grit my teeth in irritation. "That's where I'm trying to get us. And if you're so cold, maybe you should have thought about wearing actual clothes." I chastised, eyeing her choice of mini-skirt and open-toed heels with distaste.

If you're confused, allow me to explain. My little sister had wanted to go to a party hosted by this transfer student she'd recently met at school. It just so happens, he lived on the other side of town. The side we usually never go to. She apparently has this huge crush on him, and wanted to go in an attempt to "get to know him better". This wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been forced to go with her. Our parents' ultimatum was: either both of us go, or no one goes. Naturally Mitsuru practically had a fit, and so I agreed to go if only to shut her up. Resulting in our current predicament. We're completely and utterly lost.

Sure, we're teenagers and both of us have cell phones, so it'd be no problem to call our parents and have them retrieve us. Right? Right. Only, my idiot little sister decided to get drunk. And there was no way I was letting my parents see that I, her "responsible" older brother, had let her. I know that sounds bad, but, in reality, I didn't actually _let_ her get drunk. I turned my back for two minutes and she was gone! By the time I'd found her, about two hours later (the house this kid lives in is _huge_), she was already pretty downhill. I cut off any more alcohol from getting to her, and waited about another two hours inside of a bathroom I'd locked us in, rubbing her back as she threw up and placing wet rags on the back of her neck, before I decided she was sober enough for us to head home.

That was nearly three hours ago. It was nearing about two or three in the morning now and our parents were sure to kill us tomorrow- if they weren't waiting up for us. I shuddered at the thought. So now I was merely looking for the nearest bus stop to take us home. "Why don't you ask that guy for directions?" Mitsuru asked from beside me, pointing down the street. I followed her finger to see a man standing underneath a streetlight. He wore a fedora on his head, the shadow it cast hiding most of his face, and a long tan trench coat covered the rest of his body. All in all he was kind of creepy. But seeing as he was the only person on the street out and about, I opted to give him a shot. "Sir! Excuse me, can you help us? We're a little lost, and we're looking for a bus to take us home." I called, almost jogging in his direction.

The man didn't say or do anything until I was a few feet away from him. Then he turned, and walked into the alley beside him. I frowned, and slowed to a stop. Well that was a little rude. My sister's heels clacked unevenly against the pavement, and she stumbled to a stop beside me. "Why'd he leave?" she questioned, eyeing the alleyway groggily. "Did you say something mean?" she turned to me and I saw her eyes struggling to focus on me. I could feel my brow twitch at the question. "Why's it always my fault? I didn't do anything!" I snapped at her. She frowned, pursing her painted lips at me. "You're always so mean to me, Shou. You're mean to _everybody_!" she accentuated the statement by waving her arms around at, what I could only assume was supposed to be, "everybody". I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I'm gonna ask that guy for directions." I grumbled, walking towards the alley.

"Wait, Shou." Mitsuru caught my arm. I looked back at her in annoyance, but my gaze softened when I took in her expression. She looked scared. "I have a bad feeling. I don't… I don't think we should follow that… That guy… In there…" she struggled for the words, gesturing vaguely to the alley where the man had disappeared. I inwardly sighed. _Stupid little sister…_ I thought to myself. I sat her down on the sidewalk and told her not to move. I would just ask the guy for help again and then come right back. It was getting really late, and I didn't see any other option. You know, besides wandering around an unfamiliar part of town. Maybe we'd stumble upon a bus stop, but with the way my luck was running tonight, that didn't seem very likely.

I entered the alley, ignoring the protests of my drunken sister, and looked around for the man. He stood not that far away from the entrance, and I could just see his outline in the shadows. "Excuse me?" I called out to him. He didn't move, his back facing me. I walked farther into the alley. The man stayed exactly where he was until I was about arms-length from him, and he quickly moved farther into the darkness. I was getting really freaked out now. "Shou?" I looked over my shoulder to see my sister stumbling towards me. "Did-Did'ya find the guy?" she asked. I frowned at her and moved towards her. "Yes, I did. He wasn't really that much help. I thought I told you to stay on the sidewalk?" I scolded.

She pouted her lips at me. "Well, I was _gonna_! But that… That- _lady_ over there was, like, really creeping me out." She waved her arm behind her. I assumed that maybe she was just imagining things, but when I looked over her shoulder my frown deepened. There really was a woman standing right where Mitsuru had been sitting. Her eyes were wide, and her black hair was frizzy and knotted- as though it hadn't been brushed in weeks. Her clothes were incredibly wrinkled and she just kept staring at us. She was starting to creep me out, too. She took a staggering step forward, and I noticed that her whole body was trembling.

Instinctively, I pushed Mitsuru behind me. "H-Hun…gry…" the woman ground out. Her voice sounded strained, and dry- almost as if she'd been swallowing dirt. "What?" Mitsuru questioned, peeking around my shoulder at the woman. "Hun…gry…" she repeated, taking another step forward. I'd had enough at this point, and grabbed Mitsuru's hand. I turned to hurry further into the alley, but the man from before was standing directly in front of me. Up close I could see how haggard he really looked. His clothes hung loosely off his body, and his cheeks were sallow and sunken against his face- sharply outlining his skull. He had the same eerily wide eyes as the woman. They were vacant, almost animalistic, and seemed to be staring at us in-

"H-Hun…gry…. S-so, hun…gry…" the man's voice sounded strained as well. "Sorry, we don't have any food." I stated firmly. I could hear the woman's breathing grow heavy behind me. She sounded like she was close to hyperventilating. "Smell… so… g-good…" she cried, inhaling deeply. And now, I was officially scared. Suddenly, so fast I didn't even register what had happened, I was pinned against the brick wall of the alley by my throat. I heard Mitsuru scream, and my eyes snapped over to her in time to see the woman grab a fistful of my sister's hair and jerk her head back.

"Mitsuru!" I called out for her, struggling in the man's grip. My efforts didn't even seem to faze him. For someone who looked on the brink of starvation, he was incredibly strong. The woman opened her mouth wide, and two extremely sharp looking canines shined in the moonlight. I stared in horror as the woman clamped her teeth onto my sister's throat. Mitsuru whimpered in pain, and struggled against the woman. She must have been just as strong as the man who held me, because she didn't even budge. Eventually, Mitsuru's hand fell limply to the floor. I was too horrified to speak.

She was growing paler by the minute, and she wasn't moving anymore. Not even a twitch or a whimper of protest. A stream of crimson flowed smoothly to the ground from her neck and I fought the urge to vomit. "Hun…gry…" the man repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. I tore my eyes away from Mitsuru to look at the man before me. My heart stopped. His eyes were the same crimson as the blood that flowed freely from my sister's wound.

They seemed to have an unnatural glow to them, and I found myself fall into a daze. Like a snake hypnotizing its prey. I didn't even register the fact that the eyes were getting closer. I was paralyzed. Until I felt a sharp pain in my neck, and then the spell was broken. I thrashed around, clawed at the man's arms and face, but this only served to annoy him. He slammed my head against the brick wall, and my world went black. I fought for consciousness, turning my gaze in Mitsuru's direction. The last thing I saw was a puddle of crimson.

_Like those eyes…_

**_ A/N _****_  
Hello! :D  
So, this is my first ever Vampire Knight story, and I'm really nervous as to how it's going to turn out, and the response it'll get :S  
I'd love some feedback, it'd be very much appreciated!  
_****_This is just the prologue, but I'll have the actual first chapter up probably on Saturday.  
See you then!  
Bye~! _**


	2. My First Case

_Chapter 1: My First Case_

I slammed my car door shut and placed the lanyard holding my badge around my neck as I hurried down the sidewalk. The heels of my boots clacked noisily against the pavement, occasionally crunching a stray autumn leaf. I shivered, flipping up my coat collar in an attempt to help block out some of the cold. Scanning the area I saw my partner, Tatsuya, waiting for me up ahead. He had a steaming cup of coffee in each hand, and he took a sip of one as he leaned lazily against the hood of his sleek black Mercedes.

"About time you showed up, Katsumi." He smirked as I approached. He held out one of the cups of coffee to me and I took it, sipping at the scalding contents gratefully. Man did I hate winter… Granted it wasn't winter just yet, but it was getting pretty close. I guess saying I hate the cold would be more accurate. "By the way, congrats. I hear you made it to Sergeant last week. Finally one of the big dogs now, huh?" he grinned, toying with his own badge that hung loosely around his neck. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I guess so, thanks. What happened?" I asked, looking pointedly at the alleyway that was blocked off with bright yellow _Police Line_ tape. Several officers stood guard outside, while others filtered in an out of the alley. "A local woman found two kids, dead, around six this morning." Tatsuya replied, shaking his head at an elderly woman talking to one of the Police Officers on her front porch a few feet away. She had a tissue in hand and was trembling. I frowned as I nursed my coffee. "Do you know how they died?" I asked, following Tatsuya as he stood and started walking towards the alley.

"Don't know yet. We won't know for sure until the coroner can properly examine them." he admitted, nodding to one of the officers as we ducked under the tape and headed towards two white sheets laying in the middle of the alley. There were several stains of crimson seeping through the white cotton and my stomach twisted. I wrinkled my nose at the metallic stench that seemed to cling to the air. Tatsuya took a pair of gloves from one of the medical examiners and leaned down to pull back one of the sheets, revealing a boy. He looked no more than sixteen, and the paleness of his body sharply contrasted with the crimson that formed a small pool around him and stuck in his hair. Tatsuya gently tilted his head to the side, pointing to two dark purple bruises on the boys' neck.

"It looks as though he were stabbed twice in the neck, with a needle or something thin like one." He said, and I leaned down to get a better look. "He got a pretty good hit to the back of the head, too. Several times, actually. I don't think one hit would leave the wound it did. If these neck wounds didn't kill him, then those blows to the head certainly did." Tatsuya shrugged, turning the boys head to the other side so I could see the other wound. I shook my head. "What kind of sick monster does this to kids?" I murmured, gazing down at the still form of the boy before me.

I looked over at the other sheet and Tatsuya followed my gaze. "I wouldn't look at that one if I were you." He warned sadly. I turned back to him with an arched brow. "She was worse off than he was. It looks like her throat was practically torn out." My mouth gaped at that. "Torn out?" I repeated. Tatsuya nodded, "Yeah. Whoever did this must have had a dog or some kind of animal." He stated, his mouth in a firm line. I frowned but took a pair of gloves anyway, and gently peeled back the white sheet. As soon as I saw the gaping hole in the poor girls' throat, I froze. I could feel the blood draining from my face, and my stomach twisted unpleasantly. She really did look like she'd been attacked by an animal. Slowly, I lay the sheet back down in its proper place. "I told you not to look." Tatsuya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah…" was the only thing I could think to say.

"These two make six people killed in this way this month." Tatsuya said solemnly. My head snapped towards him. "Six?" I questioned, "I haven't heard anything about the other four." He shook his head, "You wouldn't. It's been kept quiet for a while, only a select few were allowed in on it. We didn't want the public to go into a panic. Alarms were raised at the second murder, but six people is just sloppy on our part. Kids no less…" he muttered. A select few, huh? I guess I should consider myself lucky. This would be my first big case as a Sergeant. I thought about the bodies of the two teenagers and frowned. I didn't exactly feel very lucky…

I looked around the alley and caught several drops of blood leading to one of the walls. They stopped just beside the wall, and I noticed several scratches marring the brick. They looked like claw marks. I traced my fingers over them faintly. They seemed to get higher and higher, almost as if whatever it was had scaled the side of the building. Odd…

"Do we have any idea who they are?" I asked, looking back down at the boy. "His name's Shou Ayakashi, according to his student ID. We couldn't find anything to identify the girl." Tatsuya replied. I stood, brushing dirt from my slacks. "Has anyone contacted his parents?" I asked. "I was about to head there now. We still need to contact the school, as well." Tatsuya said. "I'll tell the school if you'll tell the parents. We can get it done faster if we split up." I offered. In reality though, I knew I was being a bit of a coward. I didn't want to have to tell a mother her child was dead. I don't think I could stomach it. I knew I'd have to do so eventually, but I was putting it off. Giving the task to Tatsuya was cruel of me, I know, but he didn't seem to mind so much.

In fact, he nodded in agreement with me and said, "Sounds like a plan to me. He goes to the boarding school on the other side of town, Cross Academy."

In case you're wondering, Cross Academy is _huge_. It looked like a castle more than it did a school. Most of the leaves on the trees surrounding the main building had fallen to the ground, but there were still quite a few left on the branches, giving the school an almost fairytale look with their vibrant shades of red and orange.

It didn't take long to find the Headmaster's office. It was in the main building right next to the massive wrought iron gates at the entrance to the school, and it was practically in the very front of the building. I knocked on the door and entered the office after a rather chipper voice told me to come in. "Hello! I'm Kaien Cross." I examined the man extending his hand to me.

He wore a tan house-robe with a large green blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His dark-blonde hair was tied in a loose ponytail and his glasses occasionally glinted in the light as he moved. He had a large smile on his face, and I took his hand as I gave a small smile of my own. "I'm Katsumi Kishitani. I'm here on behalf of the Seito Police Department." His brows rose and a small frown touched his lips. "Oh? What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you about one of your students. His name is Shou Ayakashi." I said, taking the chair he offered me as he sat behind his desk. "Shou?" He blinked at me. "What about him? Is he in some sort of trouble?"

I clasped my hands together on top of my lap. And now one of the worst parts of my job. "I'm sorry to say, sir, but he's dead." Kaien froze, his eyes widening. It was always hard to say someone was dead, but I'd still rather be here than telling a mother she'd lost her son. "A woman found him this morning." I added. His gaze softened and he propped his chin up on his hands. "I'm sorry to hear that. Shou was a good student." He said softly. "Did you know him very well, Mr. Cross?" I asked. He shook his head, "No, I didn't. However, I do know he was one of the few placed in our advanced class. The teachers here would often speak fondly of him whenever we had meetings, so I've heard the name."

"Is there anything you could tell me about him? Were you aware of any disagreements or conflicts he may have had with other students or teachers?" I asked him. Kaien shook his head. "No, sorry. This is a large school, and as much as I try, I don't know all the students very well. Any problems Shou may have had would have been directly reported to me, and those I definitely remember. This school was basically founded on pacifism, and as such, the ideals are enforced to the point that fights or anything of the kind are extremely rare here." He added with a shrug.

"I'd like to speak with some of his teachers. And some of his classmates, if I may." I said, standing from the chair and straightening my blazer. "Unfortunately everyone's gone for the break. However I'm sure they'd be more than happy to answer your questions when they return." He said kindly. I smiled, bowing slightly, "Thank you for your time, sir." I turned for the door, but stopped and turned back to Kaien.

"Oh, and, sir? You may want to keep an eye open. We think some sort of rabid animal may be on the loose." I said. His eyes widened, but then he shifted so that the light reflected off of his glasses. "Why do you say that?" he asked. "Shou wasn't the only one who was found. There was a girl with him, and… It looks as though she were attacked by an animal." I informed him solemnly. "Thank you, officer. I'll be sure to do so." With a final nod, I left.

I had just turned the corner to exit the main building when I bumped into someone. Or, rather, they bumped into me. Said person was extremely tall, with a light brown trench coat and a cowboy styled hat on top of his head. He wore a white button up shirt and a pair of boots, reminding me somewhat of an actual cowboy from an American Western movie. A wild mane of black hair peeked out from below his hat, which he tipped politely at me before I could get a good look at his face.

"Excuse me." He said, moving to go around me. I turned to watch him as he walked in the direction of the Headmaster's office. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing on school grounds. He certainly didn't look like a teacher. I made a mental note to ask the Headmaster about it later as I continued my way out of the building.

Yagari took a long drag of his cigarette as he looked out of the window in Kaien's office. He watched as the woman walked from the main building towards her car parked just outside the gates. The wind tossed her chestnut hair around her head and she pulled her coat closer to her in an attempt to brace herself against the oncoming winter. "Who was that?" he asked, a stream of smoke escaping his lips as he spoke. "A police officer." Yagari glanced at Kaien from the corner of his eye. His hands were clasped in front of his mouth and his eyes were trained intently on the desk in front of him. "What did she want?" Yagari asked, turning from the window.

"One of our students is dead." Kaien replied quietly. Yagari stopped, his cigarette an inch from his lips. "Oh… That's a shame." He said softly, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Yagari." The severity in Kaien's voice caused his friend to freeze, giving him his full attention. "This is getting out of hand. A student is dead, not to mention the four other people the police found, and the dozen or so others that they didn't find. Something has to be done, before the Association gets wind and decides to intervene."

Yagari closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Yeah, I'm working on it. I've killed four Level E's this week, but they just keep coming. They're like roaches…" he narrowed his eyes, taking one last drag from his cigarette before he snuffed the end and tossed it into the trash-can. "I don't know what's got all these vampires in a frenzy all of a sudden, but I'm determined to find out."

_** A/N  
**__**  
And that's chapter 1 :)**_

_**Just so you know, I have no idea what the name of the town just outside of Cross Academy is actually called.  
I looked and looked but I couldn't find any reference to the town's name in the manga or I decided to make up a name. Seito- it means Holy City. Get it? Cross Academy, Holy City?**_

*cough* Yeah, uh, moving on. I didn't like the idea of just saying "I'm from the Police Department" so I came up with a name for the town. If you happen to know what the name of the town is actually called, let me know and I'll make sure I change it.

_**Also, I don't know a ton about Japanese law, so I'm doing some research and trying to stay away from anything major that would just make you go "Um, I don't think that's how it works in Japan."**_

But, I mean, Vampire Knight is set in an alternate world where vampires actually exist and they all have crazy superpowers- and the Police are basically NEVER mentioned. Almost like they don't even exist. Sooo I think any mistakes I make are justified O_o That's what I'm going with, anyway. 

_**Soo let me know what you think! :)**_

See you soon! 3


	3. The Crimson Killer

_Chapter 2: The Crimson Killer_

"…The what?" I questioned, blinking owlishly up at Tatsuya from where I sat at my desk. He crossed his arms over his chest, nodding his head proudly. "Yep, that's what we've decided to call whoever it is that's committing all of these murders." He smirked.

"That's what _you've_ decided to call them, Tatsuya. It's probably not going to catch on." Hiroshi, one of the other officers assigned to this case, piped up from his desk on the other side of the room. "What? Oh, come on- it's catchy! And I don't see any of you pitching any ideas! We can't just keep referring to whoever this is as 'You-know-who' or 'that special case we're working on'! That's so lame." Tatsuya whined. I crossed my legs and leaned back in my swivel-chair, frowning at him.

"Yeah, but, the _Crimson Killer_? It sounds like something that came out of a low-budget sci-fi movie." Tatsuya gaped at me.

"It does not! And it makes sense, too!" he said defensively. I raised a brow at him. "You know, because every time they kill someone they always leave a ton of blood everywhere? Get it?" he explained. I got it, but, I wasn't about to let him know that. When I stayed silent, he pursed his lips into a pout.

"I'm hurt that no one here seems to appreciate my creativity." He grumbled, trudging back over to his desk.

"What _I'd_ appreciate," we all stood straight to attention as Chief Sato entered the room, "is for you all to do your jobs and find out who this psychopath _really_ is, instead of giving him a pet name. Before someone else gets hurt." He snapped, his bushy gray brows furrowed in agitation. "Yes sir, sorry sir." We chorused together.

I guess I should tell you who this "we" consists of. Well, as you heard earlier, not too long ago I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. This promotion meant that I got assigned to a small team of other Sergeants for "special cases" like the one we were currently working on.

There's Tatsuya Yamada, who was my partner for ten years before he was promoted to Sergeant. We were still technically "partners" but he would occasionally get called off for a special assignment, leaving me to team up with someone else. He's only thirty-seven, a few years older than me, but with his sharp features and head of shaggy blonde hair, he could probably pass for someone in his twenties.

Then there's Hiroshi Hisakawa. He had a mess of curly red hair and was so muscular he looked like he could be playing American football. There's also Atsushi Shoji, who's tall and lanky- but built like a gymnast, with long, silky black hair, which he usually keeps in a ponytail. Finally, there's Eiko Nakahara- who was the only girl besides me. She had long, curly black hair and sharp gray eyes. She looked like she should be a model instead of a police officer.

So, yeah. That's our little team.

Anyway, getting back on track.

It's been a total of four days since we found Shou and Mitsuru Ayakashi dead in that alley. Four days of constant working, practically no sleep, and no leads. We talked to their parents, but they didn't really five us any information that we could use. Apparently both Shou and Mitsuru were exceptionally good students, and great children. They had been coming home from a party when they died, and we've been trying to get ahold of the person that was hosting the party for the past four days. It was some kid named Seiichi Hirayama, but he and his family have been "out of town" since the day after the party.

"It just doesn't make any sense." Atsushi mumbled, sifting through several reports and occasionally glancing at the pictures he'd placed on his desk.

"What?" I asked, walking over to him.

"There's nothing, absolutely nothing that links the victims together. They were all found in different parts of town, and at different hours of the night. I mean, there's not even a pattern, or any similarities in looks. It's almost like they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. So whoever did this-"

"Crimson Killer…" Tatsuya coughed into his fist. Atsushi sent him a glare and rolled his eyes,

"So this _Crimson Killer_," Tatsuya gave a satisfied smile, "is just killing on a whim. Almost like he's bored or something."

"What makes you think it's a man?" Eiko asked, arching a brow as she made her way over to where we'd all begun to cluster around Atsushi's desk. Even Chief Sato had come to listen in. "The needle-like wounds, even possible use of an animal- it could be a woman out for revenge. The victims may not have connections to each other but they could all be linked to the killer in some way." She suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I mean, look at this." Atsushi said, "Some of the victims had bones that were snapped in half. Necks, arms, even legs. One of the more recent victims," he gestured to the picture of Shou, "Even had his head bashed in. I don't think any woman has the strength to do that." He murmured.

"Steroids." Eiko shrugged.

"I doubt it." Atsushi frowned at her.

"Well, we do know a few things." I piped up, leaning against Hiroshi's desk behind me. "They were all killed at night, in an alleyway or some other confined and-or deserted area. I don't think anyone would willingly go somewhere so remote with someone they didn't know. So it's likely they either knew their killer, or were abducted." I stated.

"Maybe. Or it's also possible they were lured." Tatsuya said. I turned to him curiously. "Someone asks for help, maybe their friend is injured or something, and leads the victim away from other people to a more isolated area, and then they kill them." Tatsuya expanded. Huh… That actually made sense. It was clever, too.

The phone on Hiroshi's desk rang and he reached around me to answer it. "Sergeant Hisakawa… Yes… What? Okay, thanks. We'll be right there." He hung up quickly and grabbed his coat, turning to the rest of us. "Another body's just been found."

Hiroshi and I were the two on our team who were nominated to go to the scene where the body had been found. Chief Sato thought it was unnecessary for all of us to go, and since I was still relatively "new" it was decided that I needed more experience. As for Hiroshi, well, he already had his coat on. The others were left behind to do more research and to figure out when Seiichi Hirayama would be returning.

I kind of wished Tatsuya were here... Not that I disliked Hiroshi or anything, but Tatsuya and I worked better together. I'd known him for years, whereas I had only known Hiroshi for a few days. I guess that was another reason I was elected to go. I needed to get to know the team better.

When we were the second ones to arrive on scene, after a pair of officers who had responded to the call of the man who'd found the body. The medical examiners arrived just after we did, and we followed them to where the body had been found.

The park was surrounded by a forested area, and the man who found the victim said he was hiking when he found some blood and followed the trail, stumbling upon the body in the process. We followed his directions and found ourselves about a mile or two into the forest. Nice and secluded from the rest of society. This was a tad strange, though. It was getting close to five o' clock now, and the sun had yet to completely set. Most of these killings happened at night, but the body had been found not even an hour ago.

"He hasn't been dead long, a few hours actually." Shigeru, the leading medical examiner, told us. "Apart from the wounds in his neck, he doesn't appear to have any other injuries. I would say, if anything, he died from blood loss." He added. "It would also seem as though someone tried to stop the bleeding." I looked at him curiously, "What?"

He took out a pair of tweezers and picked up a wadded up, bloody cloth. "This was lying beside his neck when I started examining him." He said.

"Couldn't someone have been trying to wipe off the blood from their hands?" Hiroshi questioned. "Not with how soaked this cloth is. Not to mention the fact that some of the blood around the victims wound shows signs of clotting. Whoever it was that tried, was just too late to save him." Shigeru said, a thoughtful frown forming on his features.

After that, Hiroshi and I looked around for any evidence that may help us catch this killer. And, no, I will not call them "The Crimson Killer". I will not allow Tatsuya to get in my head. Because that name is just stupid… Anyway.

The sky was cluttered with thick, black rain clouds, and with the sunlight quickly receding, I was forced to get my flashlight. I was shining the light the ground, looking for any clues to help us in our case, when I found it. A trail of blood leading away from the body. I turned to tell Hiroshi of my discovery, but he was on the phone. He didn't look like he'd be getting off anytime soon, either, if the way he kept sighing and pacing back and forth was any indication. I looked up at the sound of a low roll of thunder and frowned. I could either wait for Hiroshi and risk losing the trail, or follow the trail and risk his wrath later for going off on my own.

I followed the trail.

It was difficult, though. Whoever it was that had made this trail seemed to be very agile. I had to climb over rocks, logs, and push my way through several bushes along the way. After I'd been walking for quite a while, and was debating on whether or not I should just turn back, I heard struggling up ahead. I immediately reached for my gun, clutching it tightly in one hand with my flashlight in the other.

The sounds were coming from behind a rather thick row of bushes, and seemed to grow louder as I approached. Just as I reached the bushes there was a loud, blood-curdling screech quickly followed by a gunshot. My eyes wide, I hurried through the bushes, gun at the ready.

A man stared back at me, startled at my sudden appearance. He was tall, with a tan trench-coat and cowboy styled hat and boots. His wild black hair flowed from underneath his hat and a lone blue eye watched me curiously. He had a shotgun in his right hand and seemed to be evaluating how to go about the current situation. He seemed awfully familiar… Oh well, there's no time to think about that now.

"Don't move." I seethed. He seemed ready to protest, but when he caught sight of the badge hooked to my belt, he furrowed a brow and stood stock still. "Put the gun down." I ordered. He sighed, seemingly irritated, and did as I instructed, swearing under his breath as he did so.

It was then I saw the blood on his sleeves and pants. "Is that your blood?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and gripping my gun tighter. He blinked and looked down at his arms. Realization seemed to dawn on him and he held his hands up in a calming motion, "You've got the wrong idea." He said.

"Oh really?" I sneered. "And what are you doing way up here, by yourself? I heard a commotion earlier, so what happened to the person who was with you?" I demanded. He took a deep breath and his brow furrowed, "I was hunting." He said.

"Is that why you fired your gun?" he nodded. "I've never heard anything make a noise like that. Where'd your kill go?" I asked innocently. He blinked and frowned. "It got away." He muttered, turning his head away from me.

"Hm. Well, you do realize it's illegal to hunt so close to town, right?" I asked him. He blinked and sighed again.

"I had no idea." He replied. I noticed a small pile of… something, sitting next to him and frowned, "What is that?" I asked, jerking my head at the gray substance. "Ash. From a fire." He replied smoothly.

"I didn't smell any smoke."

"It's been out for a while."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Set up camp here?"

"Maybe."

"Then where's the rest of your camping equipment?"

"I said maybe."

"Then where's your camp?"

"Not here."

"Why'd you light a fire?"

"I was cold."

"You know that's illegal too, right?"

"Then arrest me."

"Fine." I said with a smirk. His frown deepened and a silence stretched between us. I evaluated the situation thoughtfully. He was way taller than me, I probably came up to his chest, and he was more muscular than I was, too. Not as muscular as Hiroshi, but, still. There was no way I could arrest this guy by myself.

"Katsumi?" Well, speak of the devil. "I'm over here, Hiroshi!" I called back to him. There was some rustling before Hiroshi's ginger head poked out from the bushes. "There you are." He said, walking towards me. He took in my stance and froze, eyes trailing over to where the other man stood.

"What's going on?" he asked, reaching for his own gun. "He says he was out hunting. Pretty close to the crime scene, though. Kind of makes me wonder if he knows anything about it." I said. Hiroshi's frown deepened and he took out his hand-cuffs, approaching the man cautiously. "Yeah, me too." He said, pinning the man's arms behind his back and clicking the cuffs into place. The whole time, the man never said another word. He just stood there, a frown plastered on his face.

"Okay, pal. We've got some questions for you." Hiroshi said, leading the man back the way he'd came.

"More questions?" the man asked, throwing a pointed look in my direction and causing me to frown.

When we finally got him secured in the car, Hiroshi turned to me with a frown. "What were you thinking, going off on your own like that? You could've gotten hurt." He scolded me. "I found a blood trail and I didn't want to lose it. Which I may have, if I had waited any longer." I said. A loud echo of thunder rumbled through the sky, emphasizing my point. "Something could have happened to you, Katsumi." Hiroshi retorted.

"But nothing did." I countered.

"_But something could have_." Hiroshi growled, and I shut my mouth. No way did I want to make him angry. He could probably snap me in two. Not to mention he was right.

"I'm sorry." I replied with instead. Satisfied with my answer, Hiroshi turned to look at the man in the car. "Now, what's the deal with this guy?" he asked.

"He was close to where the body was found, covered in blood, and…" I hesitated. "I think he shot someone." I answered. Hiroshi raised his brows in surprise. "I'm not certain he did, but I heard a scream and a gunshot. But when I found him he was the only one there." I said.

"I'll tell the other officers to keep a lookout for another body, then." Hiroshi said, turning to look at the man we'd just arrested.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't go in there, kid!" I turned my head towards the commotion to see two officers blocking a boy from moving any further into the park. Curious, I walked over to them, Hiroshi in tow. "What's going on?" Hiroshi asked. The officers turned to us.

"This kid keeps trying to move past the police perimeter. I've been telling him to move back, but he won't listen." One of them spoke, gesturing to the tall, silver haired boy behind him. A strange feeling buzzed in my skull and sent a slightly uneasy feeling through the rest of my body as we neared the boy. He just had this strange aura about him. It was somewhat hypnotizing, but there was something else. It felt almost… Dangerous.

The boy frowned at me as I got closer, but his violet eyes darted over my shoulder and his expression became slightly troubled. I followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at the man we had just arrested, who was frowning and looking rather annoyed as he sat in the back seat.

"Do you know that man?" I asked, turning back to the boy. His eyes met mine and I was surprised at how angry he looked. The look passed quickly though, and for a moment I thought I had imagined it. He now looked rather irritated and shoved his hands deep within his jean pockets as he turned his head to the side.

"No." he answered briskly.

"Mind telling us why you were so keen on getting past the police perimeter, then?" Hiroshi piped up beside me. The boy turned his violet gaze on Hiroshi and frowned,

"I was just out for a walk, I didn't realize the perimeter was so widely set. I'll just take my leave now." He retorted, and turned on his heel to start walking back the way he came. I watched him go, and the aura left with him, clinging like some sort of shadow or fog.

"What's with all these people wanting to get in on our crime scene?" Hiroshi mumbled, scratching the back of his head as we walked back to his car. I gave a wry smile as I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. The man we'd placed in the back said nothing, just stared blankly out the window as we took off. Even Hiroshi's constant jabs and incessant questions didn't faze him. We got him downtown and into a cell without even a word of protest… Which bothered me.

I entered the cell room alone. The others were pouring over the recent pictures we'd taken and any connections the current victim may have had with the others. I, on the other hand, couldn't focus on any of it. I was too curious as to what this man was "hunting" in the middle of the woods.

He was the only prisoner we had at the moment, so he had the cell all to himself. He leaned lazily against the wall, sitting comfortably upon the metal bench that was bolted to the stone behind him. His hat was jerked down over his eyes and his hands were folded across his stomach, making it look as though he were sleeping.

"Do I at least get a phone call?" he asked dryly, not even bothering to look up at me. I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Depends on how you behave." I retorted.

"I haven't put up a fight so far, have I?" he asked, spreading his arms out questioningly. I frowned and shifted uneasily. "True." I muttered. We were both silent after that. I took the lapse of silence as a moment to study him more closely. He still had blood splattered on the sleeves of his tan coat, and along the tip of his cowboy boots. Wait a minute…

"Do I know you?" I asked. At this, he tipped his hat back to look at me, his lone eye staring at me quizzically. "You seem familiar…" I added, taking a step closer to the bars that separated us. He stared at me for a moment before smirking and jerking his hat back down snugly over his face.

"I don't believe we have. I'm pretty sure I'd remember you." He called from under his hat. Was that supposed to be a… compliment? "You seem to leave a very lasting impression." He added sarcastically, holding one hand up in the air like a gun. My face flushed and I frowned at him. I had aimed my gun at him in self-defense. He had a shot-gun for Pete's sake! What was I supposed to do? We lapsed into another round of silence after that.

"What's your name?" I asked suddenly. The man sighed irritably from under his hat before tilting it up just enough that his words wouldn't be muffled.

"You're kind of annoying, you know that?" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm trying to go to sleep? I'm tired." He grumbled before pulling the hat back down once more. The hair on the back of my neck bristled and I scoffed,

"Yeah, that's a great way to get that phone call you want." I retorted.

"Keep it." He called back. I grit my teeth to keep from yelling at him. The nerve of this guy! I took a deep breath and smirked.

"You're right, I should leave you alone. I'm sure committing murder is exhausting work." This seemed to get his attention. He brought his hat back, and his single blue eye regarded me icily.

"I didn't kill anyone." His voice was firm, unwavering and cold. He seemed angry that I had even suggested it.

"Then why were you covered in the victim's blood?" I asked. He inhaled deeply through his nose before letting out a sigh.

"I was out hunting, when I came across him. He was already bleeding pretty bad, and had been for a while, but I still tried to do what I could to help him. I was just too late." He said slowly.

"So, what, he died and you didn't think to call the police? You just thought, 'Oh well, I tried' and kept hunting?" I demanded. He frowned at me,

"No. I'm not that stupid, or thoughtless." He snapped. "There was a hiker who stumbled upon us. I told him to call the police." He added.

"He never mentioned seeing someone else at the crime scene." I countered. He frowned at me from behind the bars,

"He wouldn't. I asked him not to. I _was _in the middle of a hunting trip, you know." He said. He began patting down his pockets absentmindedly, and looked a little confused for a minute before realization dawned on him and he scratched the back of his head. "You wouldn't mind if I smoked in here, would you?" he asked.

"I would, actually." I replied, pointing to a sign on the door that read "No Smoking Beyond This Point" in bold black letters. He swore under his breath and lay his head, rather harshly, against the wall behind him. "Well, they took my cigarettes from me anyway. God knows I could use one." He muttered.

"You and me both." I mumbled under my breath, leaning against the wall across from him. He smirked at that and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "What do they call you again, Sergeant?" he asked, the smirk still on his face.

"Didn't we start the name-game a few minutes ago?" I retorted. He let out a chuckle and stood up, walking towards the bars. He stopped just a few feet away and leaned against them lazily.

"Toga Yagari." He said.

"Katsumi Kishitani." I replied. The door swung open then, and both of our heads snapped in its direction. I blinked in surprise as Kaien Cross walked in, looking worried- a rather miffed looking Tatsuya behind him.

"Headmaster Cross?" I asked, confused. He ignored me and instead hurried over to the bars where Yagari was standing.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried! You didn't get roughed up by the cops any, did you? Or beaten up by your cell-mates?" he questioned rapidly, tears streaming down his face. Yagari just looked annoyed at the crying man's presence.

"Do I look like I even have cell-mates?" he snapped, and then took a deep breath to calm himself. "What're you doing here, Kaien?" he asked, irritated. The Headmaster looked shocked and placed a hand over his heart.

"I hear that my dearest friend has been arrested, and rush faithfully to his side, and this is how you treat me?" he exclaimed. Yagari sighed and leaned his forehead against the bars of his cell. The headmaster knows him? Wait a second-

"I do remember you!" I exclaimed, pointing at Yagari, who turned to me with a raised brow. "You bumped into me as I was leaving the Academy." I added. Yagari frowned and then shrugged, causing my brow to tick. Stupid man…

"Oh, hello Sergeant Kishitani!" Kaien smiled brightly at me, noticing me for the first time. "Could you let this man out of his cell, please?" He asked, stepping aside and gesturing to the lock on the cell. I arched a brow at him and crossed my arms firmly over my chest.

"And why would I do that?" I asked.

"Because I've just paid his bail and you have nothing to hold him on." He replied, his smile never leaving his face.

"I do, actually." I retorted. Kaien frowned at this,

"Oh? And what's that?" he inquired.

"Suspected murder." I stated. Yagari sighed in exasperation.

"I told you already- I didn't kill anyone! I tried to save him!" he snapped. I rolled my eyes before I turned to him,

"Oh, and I'm supposed to just take your word for it?" I snapped back at him. He grit his teeth and his eye narrowed at me.

"Even so," the Headmaster began seriously, "I've paid his bail, and you've no proof that he actually committed any murder. He said he was trying to save him, and it's your word, and lack of evidence, against his." he added. I was about to retort, but there was a glint in his eye that made me bite down on any argument I may have been about to make. I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked over to Tatsuya. Surely he'd be on my side here. This situation was completely ridiculous. Instead of backing me up, he shrugged at me, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips.

"Chief Sato okayed it. If you wanna take it up with him, be my guest." He commented, holding his hands up defensively. I sighed, casting a withering glance at Yagari. He stared right back at me, and I sighed again. I held my hand out to Tatsuya, and he dropped the cell keys into my palm with an apologetic smile. I ignored him and marched over to the cell, shoving the key in the lock and twisting it harshly. I swung open the cell door and stepped away as I waited for Yagari to exit. He tilted his hat to me in, I guess, what was supposed to be a "gentlemanly" manner as he passed.

"Thank you, for your hospitality." He said sarcastically, as he exited his cell and walked with the Headmaster towards the door. I watched them leave with a frown on my face. Something didn't add up…

"Hold on a second." I called after them. Both Yagari and Kaien turned to look at me. "Headmaster Cross, how did you know that he was here?" I asked, gesturing to the dark haired man beside him. "He wasn't granted a phone call." I added, eyeing the blonde suspiciously.

"Well… You see…" he stammered, scratching the back of his head. I arched a brow, waiting for his answer.

"Yagari is my bestest-best friend! And when he didn't come home from his hunting trip I started getting really worried about him, so I went to the police to file a report- but it turns out you'd already found him!" he exclaimed, hugging Yagari tightly and practically sobbing all over him. My eyes widened at the affectionate display, and I swear I saw a muscle on Yagari's jaw twitch. He brought a fist up and slammed it down, hard, on top of Kaien's head.

"You idiot. Why do you have to be such a moron sometimes?" Yagari growled at the blonde, who was holding his head in pain, as silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You… Live together?" Tatsuya questioned. Yagari froze and let out a growl of irritation.

"No." he said firmly. Kaien raised a shaky hand in protest,

"Well, technically, you do live-" Yagari shot him a glare and the blonde snapped his mouth shut.

"No, we don't. Now let's go, before your stupidity rubs off on someone." Yagari grumbled, storming out of the cell block. I sighed as the pair left, pressing my back against the cool stone of the cell block walls.

"Well, there goes one of our only possible leads." I muttered. Tatsuya chuckled at my expression.

"'Possible' being the keyword, there. I don't think he did it." Tatsuya shrugged at me. I looked over to him, incredulous.

"What? I'm just saying, I think he was telling the truth!" Tatsuya defended. I scoffed and pushed by him, out to where the rest of our little team was meeting around Atsushi's desk. Curious, I headed over to them.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing beside Eiko.

"That Hirayama kid's back in town. He called and said he wants to come in to the station 'personally' to answer our questions." Atsushi said. Tatsuya frowned as he came up behind me, "When?"

"Sometime tomorrow." Hiroshi shrugged, rubbing the back of his head and fighting back a yawn.

"Well, in that case, go home. Get some rest and come in ready to work tomorrow. I want this… _Crimson Killer,_ caught as soon as possible." Chief Sato instructed, turning on his heel and marching into his office. Tatsuya waited until the door slammed shut before turning to the rest of us with a cheeky grin.

"See? I told you it was catchy."

_** A/N **_

_**Hooolllyyy craaaap! :O  
This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written. Granted I probably should have split this into two chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to stop.  
Anywho, feedback would be appreciated :)**_


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